By Ebireri Henry Ovie
South-South Leaders on Friday disagreed with Prof. Itse Sagay over the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), advising him not to fuel crisis in the ruling party through wild and baseless allegations.
“APC is a success story and an example of how democracy can work. There is no confrontation between the stakeholders and the Presidency. The party is controlling the grassroots” the leaders said
At a meeting on critical issues surrounding democracy and economic development in Nigeria, the leaders commended the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party for discouraging violence, harmonizing all contending elements to minimize crisis and promoting internal democracy through free and fair elections.
“APC has made Nigeria stand up on its feet and be counted as one of the few most respected nations on earth” the leaders said.
In a statement in Calabar, the leaders praised the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun for changing the face of Nigeria politics and the nature of political discourse in the country, building a sustaining party apparatus, making the party attractive to individuals and groups and defending the electorate.
The leaders, who were angry over the state of the economy under PDP, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for leading Nigeria’s unprecedented growth, development and prosperity.
Particularly, they praised Buhari for the impressive recovery of the economy from recession and the modernization of the country’s infrastructure.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is moving Nigeria towards a higher level of sustainable prosperity” the leaders said.
Signed by the chairman of South- South Front, Chief John Harry, the leaders expressed disappointment over the incessant attack on the party by the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay.
The leaders were quick to downplay the views of the national coordinator, Freedom and Justice Movement (FJM), Dr. Breakforth Onwunbuya and Uche Secondus, former Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on 2019 general election on the performance of the Buhari-led APC government, telling Nigerians to shun them.
In a major show of dissent against Sagay, Secondus, and Onwunbuya, the leaders said APC was not collapsing”
They described Oyegun as a strong and stable leader.
“The PDP is deeply wounded. It has manifestly failed. APC will take Anambra and Ekiti states off APGA and PDP. It will also win the 2019 general election” the leaders said.
“We are sticking with APC in 2019 the leaders added.